The Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors

As usual, the Raptors have had high expectations for their season and flopped.

The Raptors worked out a big deal last summer to bring in a once dominant player, Jermaine O’neal into the fold. GM Brian Colangelo said that this was an experiment that obviously didn’t work, hence Jermaine O’neal being traded near the middle of the season for Shawn Marion. Marion got off to a slow start but he was showing some promise once he got used to the style of play the Raptors follow.

But as always, injuries played a huge part in the Raptors downfall. The one time “Big 3″ in Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh and O’neal all were sidelined at some point during the season, causing the team chemistry to stall but also bring many losses.

The Raptors had a bit of a surge near the end of the season but it was too little too late. The Raptors finished with a pitiful record of 33 and 49 and finished 13th in the Eastern Conference.

So here we are, the NBA Playoffs and again the Raptors aren’t involved. Brian Colangelo is obviously looking to further build upon the roster and get the team back into the playoffs and hopefully beyond the second round for once.

There are many things to watch for this summer regarding the roster. Shawn Marion, Joey Graham and others will be up for free agency and losing them could cause an even bigger issue on the Raptors roster.

Brian Colangelo recently stated in a press conference that there are some big changes that need to be made that could include coaching, players and other staff off court.

Hopefully the Raptors will be able to put together a solid team that can become a threat in the Eastern Conference and one day brings us an NBA Championship. Until then, we’ll just have to hope they can at least have a decent season and get into the playoffs.